Join on WhatsApp 
Join on Telegram Rabat – A German national has been cured of COVID-19 at the Mohammed VI Hospital in Tangier, northern Morocco.
The 78-year-old German woman tested positive for COVID-19 at the Tangier hospital, which treats critical cases requiring intensive care and resuscitation. Her treatment included the use of chloroquine, a drug normally used to treat malaria, in line with the protocol set forth by the Moroccan Ministry of Health.
The German patient responded well to the chloroquine treatment and displayed no side effects, according to the director of the Mohammed VI Hospital, Dr. Mounir Marrakchi. She left the hospital on April 9 after two negative laboratory tests carried out 48 hours apart.
Dr. Mounir Marrakchi stressed that many patients respond well to chloroquine treatment. After showing signs of improvement, the patients are transferred to other hospitals in Tangier that specialize in managing the cases of infection.
Although chloroquine is not yet authorized as an official COVID-19 treatment, the drug is used widely across the globe with a significant success rate.
Chloroquine relieves fever and inflammation in patients suffering from malaria. Despite the efficiency of the treatment, chloroquine can cause severe side effects such as renal or liver damage.
The German woman is the 7th recovery case in the prefecture of Tangier-Asilah.
An estimated 5,000 German citizens are currently residing in Morocco due to travel restrictions imposed as preventive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of April 11, Moroccan health authorities have registered 1,527 cases, including 110 deaths and 141 recoveries.
To slow the spread of COVID-19, Moroccan authorities ordered citizens, residents, and tourists to wear protective face masks in public on April 7. Failure to comply with the order may result in punishment in the form of a fine or up to three months in prison.
